| The “Enola Gay,” a Boeing B-29-45-MO Superfortress, serial number 44-86292, Victor Number 82, a “Silverplate” nuclear weapon delivery aircraft, is seen after its return to the United States after World War II. Enola Gay bears the arrow-in-a-circle tail code of the 509th Composite Group. On November 6, 1945, United States Army Air Force Captain Robert A. Lewis (October 18, 1917 – June 18, 1983) flew the Enola Gay back to the United States, arriving at the 509th’s new base at Roswell Army Air Field, New Mexico, on November 8. On April 29, 1946, Enola Gay left Roswell as part of Operation Crossroads nuclear weapons tests in the Pacific. It flew to Kwajalein Atoll on May 1. It was decided that Enola Gay would not make the test drop at Bikini Atoll. Enola Gay left Kwajalein on July 1, 1946, the test date, reaching Fairfield-Suisun Army Air Field, California, the next day. The decision was made to preserve the Enola Gay, and on July 24, 1946, the aircraft was flown to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Tucson, Arizona, in preparation for storage. On August 30, 1946, the title to the aircraft was transferred to the Smithsonian Institution, and the Enola Gay was removed from the inventory. | |
| Image Filename | wwii1594.jpg |
| Image Size | 604.40 KB |
| Image Dimensions | 2998 x 2335 |
| Photographer | |
| Photographer Title | United States Army Air Force |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | December 1, 1945 |
| Location | |
| City | Roswell |
| State or Province | New Mexico |
| Country | United States |
| Archive | San Diego Air and Space Museum Archive |
| Record Number | 45240841 |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
Author of the World War II Multimedia Database